IN THE CAMPAIGN 2014/2015 THEY PLANTED 75000 NEW HECTARES
The world surface of olive groves has grown by 0,7 percent during the olive season 2014/15, since more than 75.000 new hectares over the last few months.
These figures come from a study presented by the president of GEA Westfalia Separator Ibérica, Juan Vilar, in an act in which he pointed out that the current economic trend in the olive sector is positive, "And proof of this is the expansion of the crop internationally".
Regarding the distribution, expansion is led by Africa (mainly Morocco and Tunisia), America (with special mention to Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Peru), Asia (where Saudi Arabia, China and India dominate growth), Europe (led by Portugal) and Oceania (where Australia continues to lead, with incipient growth of New Zealand).
Currently, there are already planted more than 11 million hectares of olive groves on the planet, which makes it the permanent plantation that occupies the largest surface area internationally. Digging deeper into the numbers, the 73 percent of this extension corresponds to the traditional olive grove located in the Mediterranean basin mainly, Meanwhile he 26 percent is intensive European olive grove, Asian, American, and oceanic.
The high-density olive grove already occupies more than 1 % of the total olive grove area, especially in countries that are new olive oil producers. Regarding the destination of the world olive grove production, the 90 percent is dedicated to the production of oil, Meanwhile he 10 remaining percent is oriented to table olives.
Juan Vilar points out that this expansion of the crop, that after a few years is positive again, is closely linked to the prices of seasonal crops (cereal, oilseeds) and permanent crops (Walnut, almond) subject to increasing demand and, therefore, to price tension. "In fact, during the last three campaigns, preferences in the choice of olive trees for industrial cultivation have been diminished by the influence of the almond tree, mainly due to the good prices that the almond has experienced in this period ”he explains.
Another relevant aspect is made up of the phenomena of start-up and integration of new plants in existing farms in countries such as Spain., Greece, Italy, Tunisia or Turkey. The majority varieties chosen in the new plantations have been Arbequina, arbosana, koroneiki, and picual.
